Company Plans To Sell 300 Mulsannes In China This Year#
Bentley's Wolfgang Dürheimer in the new Continental GT
Fresh off a banner 2010 in China, during which the British carmaker's sales rose 60 percent, Bentley has unveiled its latest and greatest Continental GT at the recently opened Shanghai International Auto Show. At a press conference today, Bentley's Chairman and Chief Executive, Wolfgang Dürheimer noted that China has officially become the company's second-largest market after the United States, with the company selling an astounding 302 cars in the first quarter of this year, a 64 percent rise over Q1 2010. Dürheimer added that he expects this growth to continue unabated throughout 2011, as the company plans to expand its dealer network by one-third over the course of the year.
Dürheimer then introduced the all-new Bentley Mulsanne, 300 of which will be supplied to China this year, although bespoke customization will ensure none are identical. Dürheimer mentioned the popularity of customization in the China market, with Bentley finding that customers enjoyed the Continental Flying Spur but asked for a more "refined" ride and different interior. This, he added, is what brought about the creation of the Continental Flying Spur China edition, which Bentley unveiled a year ago, an alteration that made China the number one market for the Bentley Flying Spur.
With that, Wolfgang Dürheimer introduced the new two-door Continental GT, which has been, since its original launch in 2003, Bentley's most successful automobile. Dürheimer noted that the new Continental retains most of the attributes of the original but adds new features such as a more spacious interior (always popular in China), touchscreen GPS with iPad connectivity, upgraded leather and wood accents, and "supercar performance" via a 6-litre W12 capable of reaching a top speed of 318kph (198 mph).
China availability and pricing information forthcoming.
Continental GT